SERE skills tested during Razor Talon

  • Published
  • By Airman Shawna L. Keyes
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

This month’s Razor Talon exercise included aircrew members from the 336th Fighter Squadron honing their survival, evasion, resistance and escape training, Aug. 8, 2016.

Razor Talon is a monthly exercise that allows service members unique opportunities to combine land, air and sea forces from all service branches in a realistic training environment.

First Lieutenants Michael McCoy, 336th FS pilot, and James Hendershaw, 336th FS weapon systems officer, simulated surviving an aircraft crash and proceeded to use their SERE skills to evade enemy capture while attempting to make contact with their wingmen, who were still flying, to try and get rescued.

“We went out there with some of the equipment we’d have on us had we ejected and started at a point and began our initial actions of evasion and simulated we were in a hostile environment,” said McCoy. “Even though it was a simulated environment it was still stressful and intense, but the training was very helpful and it was nice to see how all the equipment works and how coordination with the [F-15E Strike Eagle] works.”  

Approximately 10 F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft from the 333rd FS participated in the monthly exercise with aircraft from multiple bases to include F-22 Raptors and T-38 Talons from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, and a P-8 Poseidon from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.

While evading through the woods, Staff Sgt. Joshua Krape, 4th Operations Support Squadron SERE specialist, followed behind to offer advice when needed and to make sure the aircrew members were extracting all that they could from the exercise.

“Whenever we have these exercises we try to incorporate a downed aircraft scenario to provide a SERE training opportunity,” said Krape. “This particular [Razor Talon] we did a downed aircraft on land and the aircrew were required to evade and also try to make contact and get a visual with the other F-15E that was still flying. I was there as an observer-controller and their goal is to see how much they’ve retained from their initial SERE training and apply during a real-world exercise, like Razor Talon.”